Method and system for monitoring individuals

• US 7,587,067 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 5D LLC
• Original Assignee: PC 50 LLC
• Inventors: Schiller, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta; Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZARKA, DAVID PETER
• Application Number:
  US10/888,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 382/116
• US Class Current: 382/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints

Abstract

A portable device for monitoring a user'"'"'s geographic location, substantially a time of the geographic location measurement, verification status of the user'"'"'s identity is provided. The portable device includes, a biometric verification module (“BVM”) that verifies the user'"'"'s identity and includes a scanner for capturing images of a relevant biometric area and compares the captured images with pre-defined and stored reference biometric characteristics, wherein after the comparison, the BVM indicates whether the user'"'"'s identity is verified or not; and a location module that determines the portable device'"'"'s location information and substantially the time of measurement; and wherein the information carrier is a memory card for storing biometric parameters, the geographic location, the substantial time of measurement of location, and the user identity flag, wherein such data is maintained in the information carrier even when the portable device is powered off.

Claims

1. A handheld portable device for biometrically verifying user identity and monitoring user movement, comprising:

an initiation module, activated by a biometric capture action, initiates the portable device for receiving biometric information of the user to begin a transaction cycle without having the user enter any other information;

wherein, at a time of initiation by the biometric capture action, the portable device records the user'"'"'s geographic location, a time of the geographic location measurement, and a status indicating whether user'"'"'s identity was biometrically verified for the transaction in an information carrier;

a biometric verification module (“

BVM”

) that compares the biometric information received immediately after initiation with reference biometric characteristic information of the user stored in the portable device, without requiring the user to enter an identification number;

wherein the reference biometric characteristic information is captured by the portable device during an enrollment process such that the user is authorized to use the portable device and the portable device is used to identify the user by using biometric information;

wherein the BVM module includes a finger print scanner for capturing images of a relevant biometric finger print area for the transaction cycle; and

wherein after the comparison, the BVM module indicates whether the user'"'"'s identity is verified or not; and

a location module that determines the portable device'"'"'s location information and the time of measurement for the transaction cycle; and

after the biometric user identity verification, the location module continuously monitors the portable device location to detect if a user has traveled beyond a programmed threshold value;

wherein the information carrier is a memory card that stores (i) the reference biometric characteristic information, and (ii) for the transaction cycle, stores the geographic location, the time of measurement of location, a user identity status indicating whether the user identity was verified or not; and

a user identity flag; and

such information is maintained in the information carrier even when the portable device is powered off;

wherein one portable device is dedicated to each user for biometrically verifying the user'"'"'s identity and monitoring user movement by tracking the movement of the portable device;

wherein information collected for the transaction cycle is used in a data log that is used for user payroll processing; and

wherein the portable device collects information for the transaction cycle even if the BVM module indicates that the user'"'"'s identity could not be biometrically verified and the collected information is highlighted in the data log associated with the transaction cycle showing a non-verified status.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the portable device is lightweight, remote and cellular phone size.

3. The portable device of claim 2, further comprising:

a dedicated logic pathway between the biometric verification module, the location module, and the information carrier;

wherein the portable device transmits stored data from the information carrier to an external computing system that processes the data.

4. The portable device of claim 3, further comprising:

an internal processor for programming the portable device to process the data to a common digital format for storing the data in the information carrier and control type and flow of data from the portable device to the computing system;

wherein the processor is programmed remotely.

5. The portable device of claim 4, wherein the processor executes programmable steps to process the data to achieve a result similar to that achieved by an external computing system.

6. The portable device of claim 4, wherein the portable device transfers the data by using one or more of (a) a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) connector on the portable device to the computing system using a USB cable, (b) by physically inserting the Information carrier in a slot on the computing system;

(c) via Internet and (d) radio means.

7. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a reminder module that signals the user by exciting one or more of user senses to initiate the transaction cycle and a transfer of a complete set of data entry into the information carrier, wherein the reminder module activation can be pre-programmed.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the reminder module is activated at pre-programmed intervals and if a current location of a user exceeds a threshold distance from an expected location.

9. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the reminder module is programmed and re-programmed remotely.

10. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the reminder module generates an audio signal and a visual signal to remind the user to initiate a verification action.

11. The portable device of claim 10, wherein the location module uses global positioning satellite technology.

12. A method for monitoring a user using a portable device that is assigned and dedicated to the user, comprising:

(a) initializing the portable device for capturing biometric information of the user to begin a transaction cycle, without having the user enter an identification number;

(b) biometrically verifying user identity, wherein the dedicated portable device compares the captured biometric information from step (a) with user specific biometric reference information stored within the portable device;

wherein the user specific biometric reference information is captured during an enrollment process for biometrically identifying the user after the enrollment process;

(c) determining a geographic location and a time of measurement of such location for the transaction cycle;

(d) continuously monitoring the portable device location, after user identity is biometrically verified or not; and

(e) storing an indicator indicating whether user identity was biometrically verified in step (b), the geographic location and the time of measurement from step (c), and a user identity flag for the transaction cycle in an information carrier, wherein such data is maintained in the information carrier even when the portable device is powered off;

wherein information collected for the transaction cycle is used in a data log that is used for user payroll processing; and

wherein the portable device collects information for the transaction cycle in steps (c), (d) and (e) even if the user'"'"'s identity could not be biometrically verified in step (b) and the collected information is highlighted in the data log associated with the transaction cycle showing a non-verified status.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a biometric verification module (“

BVM”

) verifies the user'"'"'s identity and includes a finger print scanner for capturing images of a relevant biometric area and compares the captured images with pre-defined and stored reference biometric characteristics, wherein after the comparison, the BVM indicates whether the user'"'"'s identity is verified or not.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a location module determines the portable device'"'"'s location information and the time of measurement and continuously monitors portable device location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein an initiation module initiates user identity verification and data collection.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein an internal processor programs the portable device to process data to a common digital format for storing the data in the information carrier and control type and flow of data from the portable device to a computing system;

wherein the processor is programmed remotely.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a reminder module signals the user by exciting one or more of user senses to initiate the transaction cycle and a transfer of a complete set of data entry into the information carrier, wherein the reminder module activation is pre-programmed.

18. A handheld and cell phone type portable device for biometrically verifying user identity and monitoring user movement, comprising:

an initiation module, activated by a biometric capture action, for initiating the portable device for capturing biometric information of the user to begin a transaction cycle without requiring the user to enter a user identity number; and

at a time of initiation by the biometric capture action, collecting and storing information determined within the transaction cycle;

wherein such information is used for user payroll processing, or for a security application;

a biometric verification module (“

BVM”

) for capturing biometric information of a relevant biometric area after the portable device is initiated by the initiation module;

wherein the BVM compares the captured biometric information with pre-defined reference biometric characteristic information stored within the portable device; and

indicates whether the user'"'"'s identity is verified for the transaction cycle, without having the user to enter an identity number; and

wherein the pre-defined reference biometric characteristic information is captured during an enrollment process such that the user is authorized to use the portable device and the portable device is used to identify the user by using biometric information;

a location module that determines the portable device'"'"'s geographic location information and a time of measurement; and

after biometric user identity verification, the location module continuously monitors the portable device location to detect if a user has traveled beyond a programmed threshold value;

a memory module for storing the pre-defined reference biometric characteristic information, the geographic location, the time of measurement of the geographic location for the transaction cycle and a status of whether the user was biometrically identified by the BVM; and

a reminder module that signals the user by exciting one or more of user senses to initiate the transaction cycle and a transfer of stored data in the memory module;

wherein the portable device is dedicated and assigned to one user.

19. The portable device of claim 18, wherein the reminder module is pre-programmed to remind the user to initiate a data transfer action.

20. A portable device, comprising:

an initiation module, activated by a biometric capture action, for initiating the portable device for capturing biometric information of the user to begin a transaction cycle, without requiring the user to enter a user identity number; and

at a time of initiation by the biometric capture action, collecting and storing information within the transaction cycle;

a biometric verification module (“

BVM”

) for capturing biometric information of a relevant biometric area after the portable device is initiated by the initiation module;

wherein the BVM compares the captured biometric information with pre-defined reference biometric characteristic information stored within the portable device; and

indicates whether the user'"'"'s identity is verified for the transaction cycle, without having the user to enter an identity number; and

wherein the pre-defined reference biometric characteristic information is captured during an enrollment process such that the user is authorized to use the portable device and the portable device is used to identify the user by using biometric information;

a location module that determines the portable device'"'"'s geographic location information and a time of measurement; and

after biometric user identity verification, the location module continuously monitors the portable device location to detect if a user has traveled beyond a programmed threshold value;

a memory module for storing the pre-defined reference biometric characteristic information, the geographic location, the time of measurement of the geographic location for the transaction cycle and a status of whether the user was biometrically identified by the BVM; and

a reminder module that signals the user by exciting one or more of user senses to initiate the transaction cycle and a transfer of stored data in the memory module.

21. The portable device of claim 20, wherein the reminder module is pre-programmed to remind the user to initiate a data transfer action.

22. The portable device of claim 20, wherein the portable device is lightweight, remote and cellular phone size.